Dr. Darling-Hammond heralded for leadership in teacher quality, educational equity and school reform

Washington, D.C. – May 9, 2013 – The Learning First Alliance (LFA), a partnership of 16 leading education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools, has named Linda Darling-Hammond as its 2013 Education Visionary Award winner. The Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University and an accomplished author, Darling-Hammond’s research, teaching and ongoing policy work make her an industry leader in the areas of teacher quality and educational equity and reform.

“Throughout her highly-respected career, Linda Darling-Hammond has been truly dedicated to the betterment of public education,” said Cheryl S. Williams, executive director of the Learning First Alliance. “Our organization is committed to improving public education and student learning and is honored to recognize an individual who has worked – and continues to work – so diligently to achieve this common goal.”

In addition to serving as a professor, Darling-Hammond is the Co-Director of the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. She also launched the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute and the School Redesign Network and has served as faculty sponsor for the Stanford Teacher Education Program.

Darling-Hammond is the former president of the American Educational Research Association and a member of the National Academy of Education. From 1994-2001, she served as executive director of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, whose 1996 report, What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future, led to sweeping policy changes affecting teaching and teacher education. In 2006, this report was named one of the most influential affecting U.S. education and Darling-Hammond was named one of the nation’s ten most influential people affecting educational policy over the last decade. Darling-Hammond is also a well-known author of more than 400 publications, including: The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity will Determine our Future (2010) and Powerful Teacher Education (2006).

Darling-Hammond holds a BA magna cum laude from Yale University and an EdD (Urban Education) from Temple University. She began her career as a public school teacher. Additional professional experience includes service as Director and Senior Social Scientist for the RAND Corporation and as William F. Russell Professor of Education and Co-Director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the National Council for Educating Black Children, the Alliance for Excellent Education, the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, and the Center for Teaching Quality, among others. She was also education adviser to President Obama during the 2008 election campaign and led his education policy transition team.

Honorees of the Learning First Alliance Education Visionary Award are individuals who exhibit:
• Exceptional leadership in bringing groups who have a variety of points of view together to work collaboratively
• Tenacity in focusing on the needs of children from all environmental and economic backgrounds
• Respect for professional educators and a belief that they too have the best interests of children as the focus of their work
• A demonstrated belief that public education is the cornerstone of our democratic way of life and should be nurtured for the benefit of every American
Previous recipients of the Education Visionary Award include former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley (2011) , and founder of the Center on Education Policy Jack Jennings (2012).

To learn more about the Learning First Alliance and its Education Visionary Award, visit www.learningfirst.org.

About The Learning First Alliance
The Learning First Alliance is a partnership of 16 leading education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools. Alliance members include: the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association of School Administrators, American Association of School Personnel Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American School Counselor Association, Association for Middle Level Education (formerly National Middle School Association), International Society for Technology in Education, Learning Forward (formerly National Staff Development Council), National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Education Association, National School Public Relations Association, National PTA, National School Boards Association and Phi Delta Kappa International. The Alliance maintains www.learningfirst.org, a website that features what’s working in public schools and districts across the country.
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